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The department of journalism at the public National University of La Plata (UNLP) has presented a controversial award to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, spotlighting the close ties between politics and journalism advocated by university authorities who are in sync with the national government. The award sparked a debate on the role of higher education institutions in preparing future journalists.

In the next two to three years, we will see a level of personnel movement in higher ed that will dwarf anything we’ve seen since the 1960’s.I’m basing this on two observations. The first is the increasing median age of full-timers in higher ed, especially on the administrative side. The second is the extinction of pay raises.

On the news recently there was mention of a scavenger hunt that will be held in the New York Public Library as part of the centennial celebration of the magnificent Stephen A. Schwarzman building. I am one of a legion of fans of this magnificent building and I am even more appreciative of the incredible collection housed in the building. My relationship with the Public Library goes back to when I was a little kid and always excited to go to my local library and pick out another book to read.

I imagine that selling to educational institutions must be a challenge. We don't make decisions quickly. It is often difficult to identify the true decision maker. The consensus and collaborative culture of academic technology means that many people have a voice and veto, but only a few can green light (and fund) any purchase decision. Here are 6 guidelines that might assist tech companies planning to build a sales channel to the higher ed market:

Last Friday, Alma held a joint celebration of our 125th anniversary and the inauguration. So many in our community contributed to an event that was a great success: turnout was terrific for an event that was full of uplift and promise, despite the challenges. We used the opportunity to feature a symposium on building community and a related workshop, signaling the importance of Alma's efforts to help Michigan thrive in the years to come.

I am a full-time instructor. At my institution, this means that I have a heavier teaching load, but it also means that I have no service responsibilities whatsoever; no committees, no advising, no curriculum reform, no administrative duties, nothing. My department allows for me to participate in departmental committees and tries to ensure that we, the instructors, are properly represented, but at the end of the day, we are not required, nor do we receive any credit. In fact, our yearly evaluations are restricted to speaking about our teaching.

I've written extensively about #NASPACPA. Voting concludes this week. While we won't know right away whether or not consolidation has passed, one thing is certain. We will have an answer to one of the biggest questions for student affairs professionals: Are we going to consolidate ACPA and NASPA into a unified association?

Why do you work for a university or college? Why do I?These questions (admittedly, in reverse order) popped into my mind recently, as a result of three unconnected events. First was a comment I heard a professor direct to a grad student, to the effect that if you want to make money in academe the best choice is to become an administrator. (I was quick to point out that he meant a senior academic administrator -- not someone on the business side of the organization, and not a lower- or mid-level employee.)

Oh sure -- the New York Times puts up a paywall, and then finally runs an intelligent article about community colleges. Thanks.If you’re able to access it, this piece discusses people consciously choosing to spend the first two years of a much longer college education at a community college as a cost-cutting measure. The idea is to build up a slew of transferable credits at low cost, so that when you get to the four-year school, you’re only paying their rate for two years.

2011 will be remembered as the year that the ed tech sector got hot. Venture capital firms will be making lots of small investments, and some large investments, in start-ups in the educational technology space.Kaltura, the media management and online video platform company, recently announced a third round of funding worth $20 million. This round was much bigger than previous venture investments of $2 million and $5.5 million.